W Easter Island: The Endless Enigma m Fa `a

Easter Island: The Endless Enigma is for those who wish a
general introduction to the island, perhaps with a view to
visiting the island.
Unpublished papers among the field notes of the Routledges'
Mana Expedition to Easter Island, in the Royal Geographical
Society, London.
Weber, N. 1988. Case Marking in Rapa Nui, the Polynesian
Language of Easter Island. MA thesis, TIle University of Texas
at Arlington.
Weber. R., 1988. The Verbal Morphology of Rapa Nui, the
Polynesian Language of Easter Island and its Function in
Narrative Discourse. MA thesis, The University of Texas at
Arlington.
m
Fa 'a-Samoa: The Samoan Way. .. between conch
shell and disco. A portrait of Westem Samoa at the end
ofthe twentieth century
by Ad Linkels, 1995. Photos by Ad and Lucia Linkels.
Published by Mundo Etnico Foundation, Tilburg, The
Netherlands. ISBN 90-72840-09-7. This booklet accompanies the CD Fa 'a-Samoa: The Samoan Way. .. [pAN 2066
CD: Anthology of Pacific Music #6]
W Easter Island: The Endless Enigma
by Jose Luis Velasco; photographs by Juan Pablo Lira and
underwater photography by Paul Humann. Editorial Kactus,
Santiago de Chile. 96 pages, color photographs. ISBN
956.7013-28-3. English translation by Peter Kendall.
Review by Daniel Pouesi
Ad Linkel's information for his Fa 'a-Samoa: The Samoan
Way is drawn from joint fieldwork in 1982. It is a "portrait of
a short but important period" in Samoa-the 1980s, a
"transitional" period characterized by the "rigid traditions" of
Samoa on the one hand and "democracy and individual
freedom" of the West on the other. It was a time, according
to the author, that Samoa underwent major changeschanges that are "reflected in the music and dances of that
time."
Fa 'a-Samoa is a readable book with historical information
on Samoa and lots of great photographs. Part II, Music and
Dance, is higWy recommended reading for anyone interested
in the musical instruments and implements. Unfortunately the
rest of the book is beset by a number of precarious
conclusions. Perhaps one of the reasons for this is that the
author has set for himself a formidable task: an analysis of
Samoan music and dance, the changes they underwent and
how they reflected Samoa of the '80s. Given the complexity
of Samoan culture, it is doubtful that such a task can be
successfully accomplished in a 94-'page, mostly-pictorial,
book.
In contrast to Richard Moyle's The Music ofSamoa, Fa 'aSamoa is impressionistic: Many of the author's statements
are overly simplistic and hence, misleading. On page 6, for
instance, he writes of American Samoa: [Its] import
economy is completely supported by the USA. As a result,
the Samoans do not have much of a say anymore in their own
country." American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of
the United States but it is not under the jurisdiction of the US
Constitution. It elects its own government officials (a 1960
constitution gave legislative powers to the fono) and, to date,
still maintains it traditional matai system and land tenure. It
might be argued that. the main reason for American Samoa's
economic woes is one of "too much say."
Of the Samoan concept of "beauty," the author notes: "A
slim person is not held in great respect. A matai who wishes
to be respected should have a large belly." Although the
Samoan concept of Maluali'i (imposing or large-bodied)
suggests a "stateliness" or "dignity", it is not a necessary
condition for respectability. Many of Samoa's respectable
matai (past and present) are slim by both Samoan and
Western standards. Lauati Namulauulu, a leading orator from
Review by Dan Gartner. CanbeITa, Australia
I received this book as a Christmas present from a good
Chilean friend who knows about my interest in Rapa Nui
(thank you, Javier Thumm i). The book is published in
Spanish, English, French and German; my copy is the
English version. I was informed that the book in available in
the USA but, for some reason, not in Australia. I was told that
the price runs around US $40, a bit on the high side.
This book is not, nor does it try to be, scientific. It gives a
complete but abbreviated view of Easter Island and is divided
into sections with short text. The photographs are exceUent.
In fact, there are no less than 139 pictures in the book, plus
five more on the dust jacket. There is no question that the
young Chilean photographer, Juan Pablo Lira, knows the
island and his profession quite well. The underwater
photographs (by American photographer Paul Humann) are
also first class.
The sections of the book go from arrival to the island
through its history, geography, people, archaeology and way
of life, and finishes with "the aUure of Easter Island." The
text is well written and kept to a minimum. Clearly, the
photographs are more important. It apparently was written to
attract tourists, particularly those who know nothing about
Rapa Nui. In many cases, the reader may have no idea what
the author is talking about: disconcertingly, there is no clue
as to where in the world the island is located. We just land
there onto "the most isolated island in the world" but no other
information.
The quality is also first class: binding and general layout
are excellent. The English translation is very good. However,
the book is marred by many typos. It is a pity that proof
reading was so poor. It is irritating to frnd words like "biefly"
(p.47), "utiliarian" (p.50), "navegators" (two or three times),
and so on. There are no fewer than 17 such typos in addition
to an important one' the area of the Atlantic Ocean (p.30) is
wrong by a factor of 100.
What is missing is a good map of the island and a general
map to show where Easter Island is located. There is no
detailed index nor bibliography although credit is given to
sources in the introduction. The book was written with the
scientific consultancy of Patricia Vargas Casanova.
Rapa Nui Journal
I
49
Vol 10 (2) June 1996
itself.
Fa 'a-Samoa concludes with the claim that "the siva
Samoa... [is] a legitimate emotional outlet for illdividual
frustrations. That is why this dance had always been so
important for the general welfare of the population." The
siva, the author contends, not only enables "people to
confirm to the socio-political system, but also to express
hidden emotions and frustrations" and in support of this, he
quotes Margaret Mead as saying that tbe siva compensates
"for repression of personality in other spheres of life." Not
only is this statement naiv functionalism, it is untestable and
again, far too simplistic. I've never been to a siv,1 attended by
frustrated Samoans and to say that it serves as all outlet for
repressed emotions is just plain silly. It presupposes, among
other things, the notion that Samoans bring with them to a
dance their hidden frustrations. In fact, a frustrated individual
might very well express his or her demeanor in the behavior
called musu -the same behavior the 3uthor describes on
page 18: "A person in this state becom s surly, reckless.
dejected and is completely unwilling to do anything that is
requested of him. He resents attempts to cheer him up and
even resents being spoken to" -hardly a description for a
participant at a dance.
Most of my problems with Fa 'a-Samoa are minor. But my
few major complaints prevent me from recommending it as
a primer for an introductory course in cultural anthropology
or musicology although the copyright page suggests that this
is what the publisher had in mind. Fa 'a-Samo,1 would have
benefited from a review by anthropologists who had done
extensive research in Samoa. The bibliograpby in ludes
Margaret Mead (as any book on Samoa would) and lists
anthropologists Derek Freeman, Lowell Holmes, and Bradd
Sbore. However, not one of tbese three appears in the
acknowledgment nor do we see names of Samoa's prominent
musicians or composers known throughout the islands for
their knowledge of and contributions to Samoan music and
dance. The author does acknowledge, among otbers. a
Samoan minister. a former teacher's wife and a Bible student,
but the absence of individuals I would consider "key
informants" leads me to believe tbat Fa 'a-Samo,1 suffers from
a lack of relevant insights. It is a nice book to bave if one can
overlook the generalizations and concentrate instead on the
historical narrative, the section on musical instruments and
beautiful black and white photographs. For the serious reader,
I recommend waiting for a revised edition.
Safotulafai whose picture appears in many books on Samoa,
is a good example. The author also makes the assertion that
"fat is a Samoan virtue as it indicates prosperity" and that
"boys prefer plump girls." These statements are far too
simplistic. The Samoan word from plump is "vevenl' and is
usually used in connection with a baby, as in "E veveni alafau
o Ie pepe" [The baby has plump cheeks]. In this case, it
suggests "cuteness" and the only instance I know of in which
"plump" comes close to "beautiful." When used in
connection with one's body, it means "bloated or puffed up
with disease" (Pratt's Grammar and Dictionary of the
Samoan Language, 1911). The Samoan word for "fat" is
"pula" or "putagae!e' [obese] both of which are pejorative.
The author's statement is just as stereotypical as is the one
most of us in the US are familiar with that all Samoans are
fal. One need only look at photos of old Samoa (and indeed
the author's own) to see that the majority of Samoans are slim
and well-proportioned.
Moving on to page 11, we read: "Having a tattoo proves
you are a man!" It is true that, in the past, before a man took
a malai title, it was necessary for him to get a tattoo (peter
Buck, Samoan Matena) Culture 1930) and that he could
neither prepare food nor perform certain tasks for the chief's
council without one. But statements such as this trivialize this
very important Samoan ritual. Were it a test of manhood,
how then would one explain the woman's malu [tattoo]? Or
the Samoan tradition that the tatau was originally intended
for women? Or the fact that young men were often tattooed
alongside the manaia [high chief's son] to share his pain? Or
that some actually served as "canvasses" upon whom an
apprentice practiced his craft?
On page 17, Linkels makes the bold statement that
"Samoans take pleasure in belonging to a group and delight
in conforming." Were this the case, why then should there be
a • continuing clash between the old traditional culture and
elements of the imported Western culture?" The latter
statement nullifies the former and contradicts other writers'
observations on bow easily the Samoans had adopted
Western culture traits into the fa 'a-Samoa.
Regarding the Fa 'ataupati [the so-called slap-dance], the
author writes that it is "also known as the mosquito dance
because the performers sometimes look as if they are trying
to catch mosquitoes." This is the sort of thing one might read
in a travel brochure or hear from an entertainer humoring an
audience at a Polynesian luau. It bears a superficial
resemblance to real life. As far as religious songs go, the
author draws a very unlikely conclusion that they "are not
only sung in churches. Even during a fiafia, part of the
repertoire may be religious." It is true that Samoans make a
reference to God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit in songs composed
specifically for and performed during a fiafja but Samoans, in
general, do not consider these songs "religious" and would
never include them in a church repertoire. An example of
such a song is the popular 0 Iesu ole Vine Moni [Jesus is the
True Vine]. Although the lyrics sound "religious" Samoans
still consider this song as "secular" and use it exclusively in
fiafia, for which it was composed. A hymn may be sung as
part of a religious "prelude" to a fiafia, but never in the fiafia
Rapa Nui Journal
Daniel Pouesl; publisher ofLe Pasefika, is Samoan.
His KIN Publications specialize in Pacific Island chIldren's
and
non-fiction
by
Pacific
/sJauders.
books
50
Vol 10 (2) June 1996
KalJO 'oJa we: Nii Leo
of Kaho'olawe). 1995.
0
[9 Asian Perspectives: The Joumal ofArchaeology for Asia
and the Pacific. Vol. 34(2): 229-256.
KanaJoa (Chants and stories
'Ai P6haku Press PO Box 37095, Honolulu, HI 96837.
Oversize, 116 pages, the book comes in botb bardcover and
softcov r versions. Softcover price: $32.95.
Foreword by Noa Emmett Aluli of the Protect Kaho'olawe
'Obana; Introduction by Rowland B. Reeve.
[9 Bulletin of the Intemational String Figure Association,
1995. ISFA Press, PO Box 5134, Pasadena CA.
[9Centre for South Pacific Studies, Newsletter. University
of New Soutb Wales, Vol. 10 (l), 1996. Sydney,
Austratia.
Review by Georgia Lee
KaJlO'olawe: Nii Leo 0 Kanaloa is essentially a picture
book accompanied by Hawaiian mele (cbants) and mo'olelo
(legends) that are filled witb allusions and kaona (hidden
meani.ngs). Throughout the book these are presented in both
Hawaiian and English and comprise most of the text. The
photographs, 38 in color and 39 black and white, are
excellent.
Today Kaho'olawe Island is bare, windswept and desolate
tbe result of years of over-exploitation. It was ravaged by
herds of wild goats in early historic times, and then became
a target for the US Military which did its best to blow it up.
The island is still off limits for all but a few, so this book
repres nts an opportunity to see its stark beauty through the
lens of some talented photographers. In 1994, tbe federal
govemment returned control of the island to the Hawaiian
people; it is being held in trust by the State of Hawai' i while
tbe job of clearing the island of unexploded ordinance
continues. The island is to become a natural and cultural
preserve, and likely will never be opened up to the general
publiC.
I ha e been one of the fortunate few to visit Kaho'olawe as
a member of an archaeological field project and allowed to
join the 'Ohana campsite at Hakioawa, a memorable and
meaningful experience. With that in mind, I found
Kaho 'olawe: Nii Leo 0 Kanaloa to be a lovely ramble down
memory lane. But this book is not for everyone; those who
know and love Hawai'i and things Hawaiian will enjoy it. It
is long on impressions and images but short on actual
infonnation and history. That is to be the subject of a second
book, to be published as a companion volume. We await that
with anticipation.
[9 D' Alleva, Anne. Change and Continuity in Decorated
Tahitian Barkcloth from B Iigb' s Second Breadfruit
Voyage, 1791-1793., PacificAJts, Nos. 11&12: 29-42.
[9 The Joumal of the Pacific AJts Association, Tbe
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New
York 10028-0198.
[9 Domenici, Viviano. 1996. I giganti di pietra parlano
d'amore.
Corriere della Sera (Rome),ll February
1996:28. Details Fischer's decipherment of rongorongo
from Bahn 's NatlJfe article of 18 January 1996
(379:204-5).
Feu, Veronica. 1996. Rapanui: Descnptive
Grammars. Routledge: New York and London. 212
[9Du
pages plus index; hard cover. Price in US: $120. Contact
in NY: Routledge at 29 W. 35th St.,
NY 10001-2299.
[See review, this issue].
[9 Le Bulletin du Cercle d'Etudes sur J'ile de Piques et la
Polynesie. No.7, March 1996. Delegation de la
Polynesie Franyaise
Paris, 28, boulevard SaintGermain 75005, Paris. The yearly subscription for this
bulletin amounts to French Francs 250.00 or US $60 for
six issues and specialized papers.
a
[9 Fedorova, Irina. 1995. Zodiak polineziisev (Zodiac of the
Polynesians), in Kur'erpetrovskoi kunstkamery 2-3. St.
Petersburg: Nayk pages 282-96.
[9 Fischer, Steven Roger. 1996. Reply to "Easter Island's
'Deed of Cession' of 1770 and the origin of its
rongorongo script" by Robert Langdon. Joumal of the
Polynesian Society 105(1): 119-124.
PUBLICATIONS
[9 Allan, John. 1995. Artifacts at Exeter City Museums
from Bligh's Second Voyage to Tahiti. PacificAJts, Nos.
[9Fleaux, Rachel. 1996. Rongorongo: L'ecriture phallique
descryptee. Sciences et A venir(Paris), April 1996: 92-3.
Details Fischer's decipherment of rongorongo from
Bahn's NatlJfearticle of 18 January 1996 (379:204-5).
11&12:43-47. The Joumal of the Pacific AIts
Association, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000
Fifth Avenue New York 10028-0198.
[9 Anson Dimitri. 1995. A Brief History of tbe Pacific
Collections at the Otago Museum, Dunedin, New
Zealand. Pacific Am, Nos. 11-12:48-55. The Joumal of
(be Pacific AJts Association, The Metropolitan Museum
of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, ew York 10028-0198.
Rapa Nui Journal
51
[9 Forster, Johann Reinbold, 1996. Observations Made
Dunng a Voyage Round the World, edited by Nicholas
Thomas, Harriet Guest, and Micbael Dettelbacb.
University ofHawai'i Press, 1996. ISBN 0-8248-1725-7;
price $55 (cloth bound).
VallO (2) June 1996